The first single off Travie’s album “The Lazarus Project”.

Travis McCoy (born August 6, 1981) is the lead vocalist of the alternative hip-hop group Gym Class Heroes. He released his first solo album, Lazarus, on June 8, 2010 under the name Travie McCoy. The lead single, “Billionaire“, on the Hot 100.

McCoy was born and raised in Geneva, New York. His father is Haitian and his mother is of Irish and Native American ancestry. In high school, he met Matt McGinley in his gym class and the two bonded over their love of music. They decided to start a band and played with other musicians until Gym Class Heroes was formed in 2001.
Travis made his MTV debut in the summer of 2002, as he appeared on stage at the beach house on a standard nation-wide MC Battle that was held on the MTV show Direct Effect.

McCoy was arrested on July 1, 2008, after hitting a man on the head with his microphone. The man had been in the crowd at a concert in St. Louis when he shouted racial slurs at McCoy. McCoy asked the man, “What did you just call me?” As security was removing the man from the venue, McCoy brought the man on stage to call him out in front of the crowd. In a statement, McCoy’s publicist said that the man hit McCoy’s knee, which was in a brace after he had suffered a recent strain.

Personal lifeIn early March 2008, McCoy opened up about his battles with opioids. He stated that he had been addicted to pharmaceuticals since he was 15 years old.

McCoy dated singer Katy Perry on and off for several years. He had given a promise ring to Perry, and when asked if this was rehearsal for an actual proposal, McCoy shrugged with a grin. The two broke up in December 2008. They began dating again in April 2009. However, they broke up once more a few months later.

He is also the cousin of rapper Tyga who is signed to Lil Wayne’s record label Young Money Entertainment.

McCoy is the godfather of Bronx Mowgli Wentz, who is the son of Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson-Wentz.

“Billionaire” is the debut lead single off Travie McCoy’s first solo album Lazarus. The song was produced by The Smeezingtons which consists of Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine. Lyrically it’s McCoy imagining what would happen if he became a billionaire.